Philadelphia 76ers: Sixers can't close out Bucks

Philadelphia 76ers' Nick Young (1) drives between the Milwaukee Bucks' Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12), Ersan Ilyasova and Samuel Dalembert during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

MILWAUKEE — It would be a tad premature to say a mid-February game carried a must-win scenario. And it would be a bit naïve to say the 76ers’ postseason hopes hinged on the result of their 51st game.

But, in both cases, it kind of did.

Fresh off an eight-game homestand that garnered five wins, the Sixers – in their final game before the All-Star break – were paired with the team just ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings.

And because a two-game deficit for the final postseason berth is a little more manageable than being four games out, the Sixers counted Wednesday’s date at the Bradley Center as a must-have.

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The Sixers stumbled late and watched as the Milwaukee Bucks surged past them, 94-92.

Milwaukee shot better than 50 percent after halftime and erased a double-digit, second-half deficit against the Sixers.

With the Bucks up 93-90, in the final minute, Evan Turner pump-faked and ducked under the rim for a shot that brought the Sixers within one. At the other end, the Bucks’ Monta Ellis hit the first free throw and missed the second, with Royal Ivey pulling down the miss.

The Sixers had the ball with 11.7 seconds to go in a 94-92 game, Jrue Holiday’s shot clanged off, but Holiday forced a jumpball. The Sixers won it, but Ivey threw it away as time expired.

It was the first time in 21 games this season that the Sixers lost after taking a lead into the fourth quarter.

Despite a pair of problems, the Sixers took advantage of a ridiculously slow start from Milwaukee to take a sizeable lead.

Nick Young, who went off for 12 of the Sixers’ first 20 points, had two personal fouls eight minutes into the game and didn’t return until midway through the second quarter.

As if that wasn’t enough, Sixers coach Doug Collins gave Evan Turner the hook less than four minutes into the game. Turner committed two turnovers and missed his only attempt in that span, before Collins subbed out Turner for the rest of the first quarter.

Still, the Sixers led, 28-18, heading into the second, thanks to the Bucks missed all but two of their first 12 shots.

Turner shook off whatever was dogging him early on and became a force offensively. On four possessions inside the final 2:30 of the second quarter, Turner went into the paint, established contact and put up a shot. Twice, he knocked it down. Two other times, he didn’t.

More importantly, Turner was trying to get the Sixers to the free-throw line, where they’ve been unable to set up shop this season. Each time, Turner looked for a call … and got none.

Nonetheless, it was refreshing to see the Sixers trying something new – especially in a game they had to have.

In the third quarter, which began with the Sixers in front, 50-43, Turner finally got the foul line. He hit both shots there as part of an 8-0 run that created a nine-point cushion between the Sixers and the Bucks.

Milwaukee called a timeout, then responded.

The Bucks went on a 10-1 run to even the score at 67-all. Then, for the remainder of the third quarter, it became a back-and-forth game with both teams trading buckets.

Turner, without Holiday on the floor, hit a stepback 18-footer and, at the other end, Brandon Jennings made a shot one step inside the arc. When it was the sixers’ turn, Jeremy Pargo’s drive-and-dish to Royal Ivey for a corner 3 was followed up by another Jennings bucket.

That made it 75-72 after three. And the Sixers hadn’t lost in 20 games in which they took a lead into the fourth, so the cards were stacked in their favor.

Until the Bucks assembled a fourth-quarter run that ended the Sixers’ impressive streak.

Like the third quarter, the final period was loaded with lead changes. After the Bucks had taken the lead on Monta Ellis’ baseline floater, 80-79, the Sixers didn’t regain it until Spencer Hawes’ tip-in of an Evan Turner miss a minute later. Another Ellis bucket got Milwaukee back in front, 82-81.

The Bucks had a few things go their way, too.

Milwaukee’s Samuel Dalembert chucked up a desperation 10-footer after having to be reminded by teammates that the shot clock was expiring. On the Bucks’ next trip, Dalembert pushed off against Hawes to get to an offensive board that led to a second-chane bucket. The Bucks opened up a six-point lead at one stretch.